For some of us, the idea of planning multigenerational travel and spending weeks together in a foreign land with our parents and children sounds like a new circle of hell in Dante’s Inferno. But, if your family relationships are solid and you can ride out the occasional emotional storms and historical family member behavioral patterns, the benefits of planning multigenerational trips far outweigh the downsides. We’ve done a lot of multigenerational family trips over the years, and we’re in good company. But, before you pack your bags and call Grandma to book that trip to the Amazon jungle, there are a few things to consider. Here’s how to plan and execute a successful multigenerational family vacation.
What is a Multigenerational Family Vacation
In the past few years, there has been a growing trend towards multi- or inter-generational travel. (The American Travel Industry Association estimates that more than 5 million family vacations each year include more than three generations.)
What is multigenerational travel, you ask? Multigenerational vacations are a popular way for extended families to spend quality time together while on holiday. Usually, such trips can include grandparents, adult kids, children and even other related families.
When taking a multigenerational trip, families often celebrate reunions or special occasions. The benefits and value of taking a multigenerational holiday are many and significant – sharing the costs of accommodations, food and travel; fostering family relationships across generations; celebrating individual or family milestones; and creating memories, are among some of them.
How to Plan Multigenerational Family Travel
1. Start planning early
So, you’ve all agreed to travel together! What kind of holiday is everyone interested in having? Is it a one-week all inclusive resort trip, a dude ranch, national park, a large or small ships cruise, or a month-long European tour? Are you getting together to celebrate a special family event or to explore a new vacation destination?
Surveying the participants a year ahead of your planned departure is key to determining what kind of holiday is of interest. It’s the first step towards determining the where, the what, and the when.
When travel planning for a multigenerational family holiday, it’s important to keep in mind the ages and physical abilities of all of the family members. If you’re traveling with babies or elderly parents with mobility issues, your ability to stay out for long periods of time may be limited. Planning activities on your multi generational vacation that involve walking around Rome or London all day long, or biking along the Danube for a week may not be in the cards.
2. Coordinate travel plans
Many families are spread out across the country. It’s important to determine whether it’s best for everyone to leave from the same place, or meet at your destination. Appointing a trip planner from your group, or hiring a travel agent, can make planning easier, as one person can research and make the best recommendations for everyone, with suggestions from others of course.
Many airlines offer group rates if you have large multi generational group travelling together to and from the same destination. You can also negotiate cheaper car rentals if you need a fleet of cars, but you’ll need to determine your mobility on the ground first. Who’ll be driving and how much space do you need? What are the costs involved?
Renting a mini-van for 6 or 8 people is practical and cost-effective in North America, but it’s cheaper to rent two cars in Europe for the same number of people, due to the higher rental cost of larger vehicles there. Utilize an on-line travel site such as TravelAlerts, Auto Europe, Kayak, Travelocity or Expedia to compare costs across different airlines and rental companies.
3. Budget for multi generation travels
Nothing creates trip stress like money worries. Travelling can be expensive, even if you’re pooling resources among family members to save money. Trip planning still involves a discussion about who will pay for things, and how expenses will be divided up during your travels.
Unless your rich uncle has offered to pay the entire trip cost, discuss your multi-generation trip travel budget well ahead of time. And determine the payment pattern before you even book any flights or accommodations. This will help minimize misunderstandings and reduce possible resentment about family members not paying their way. It’s not the easiest subject to bring up, but not discussing it can ruin your holiday and create long-lasting bitterness.
4. Find a home away from home
Accommodation is often the largest expense item on any trip. One of the biggest benefits of planning multigenerational travel is the cost savings that can come from pooling resources and sharing space.
Finding vacation rental apartments or hotel rooms with the appropriate number of bedrooms and a kitchen is a must. You can save hundreds of dollars by staying in one location, and by eating some meals in your apartment instead of in a cafe or restaurant three times a day. Restaurant meal costs can really add up, especially on an extended holiday.
Finding suitable rental accommodation on the web is easier than ever before, thanks to the multiple sites offering reviews and bookings for apartments, hotels, and hostels around the world, such as HouseTrip, AirBnB, TripAdvisor or Booking.com. And through Google Street View, you can also see (before you book) whether your rental apartment or hotel in London or Auckland is located in the centre of town or a 30 minute train ride away.
Home exchanges are also a wonderful way to save money while exploring new destinations. Two of the best are HomeLink and www.homeaway.com.
5. Patience is a virtue
It helps to have a good relationship with one’s parents or in-laws, but the best relations can be severely tested. Especially when jet-lagged after a 15 hour flight. Or if the GPS stops working on your road trip, and you’re suddenly lost at night in southern France. It can be difficult, if not impossible, to summon the necessary patience to deal with situations when they don’t go as planned.
It’s critical to recognize one’s own flash-points and hotspots; the things that have historically driven you crazy in the past. If you already know ahead of time that your parent or mother-in-law is going to do something or act in a way that will get in the way of enjoying your trip, and each other, deal with it ahead of time.
Choose a coping mechanism, like going for a walk or leaving the room. Or face the issue head on by sitting down to talk about the problem face to face. Otherwise your dream holiday can turn into the trip from hell, and uh oh – you still have three weeks left together!
6. Be prepared to compromise
Grandpa wants to visit the war memorial; the kids want to go to the Disneyland. What to do?
Like life, travelling as an extended family requires recognizing the need to compromise. If you’ve planned your trip well, you already know what everyone really wants to do on the holiday. Ideally, all family members have to commit to giving a little to get something back. That includes young children, teenagers and a parent perhaps accustomed to getting his own way all the time.
It’s a great idea to schedule each of your trip days in advance, according to location or activity. Mapping out a schedule (that still allows for some flexibility) will allow everyone to get their ideas on the table. Every family member should be able to achieve at least one of their own trip highlights, whether it’s a family beach day, museum visit, or window shopping for the afternoon in the city’s best shopping district.
7. Celebrate togetherness
Spending quality family time on holiday is a privilege and a gift and is the #1 reason people want to start planning multigenerational travel. It’s a time to celebrate being together, family bonding, and for everyone to enjoy themselves. We’ve celebrated many personal and family milestones all over the world, creating unforgettable memories.
For young children and grandparents, spending time together on holiday fosters their special relationship. They can focus on fun and even learning opportunities about family history and each other. For adult children, the multigenerational adventure can offer the chance to do activities on the same level as their parents.
The added benefit of built-in babysitting allows the parents of young children a day (or night) to themselves. Oh the joy of eating a fancy dinner or enjoying a special walk on the beach without the kids!
It’s also important to plan separate activities. Older parents may want some rest time from you and your children. Face it, all that energy can be exhausting. You can pursue different interests in a morning or day, then meet up for lunch or dinner together. Planning for some independence for everyone is healthy. It will keep family members of all ages happy and positive about the holiday.
Reconnect with each other through the multigenerational travel experience. It’s a wonderful way to keep family ties strong and maintain relationships across generations.
Pin for Later
Photo Credits: C. Laroye
Have you ever taken a multigenerational family vacation? Did you enjoy it or was it a disaster? Share your tips and comments below.
- 8 of the most spectacular BC roadtrips - March 28, 2024
- 21 fantastic things to do in Whistler in summer - March 23, 2024
- 7 unique places to experience Ainu culture in Hokkaido - March 22, 2024
